


Nothing Left To Lose

by minispice



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Dark, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Mind Manipulation, Obsessive Behavior, Other, Rose and Oleana aren't the bad guys here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:55:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24853450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minispice/pseuds/minispice
Summary: A fateful meeting is all it took to send Leon down a path paved in black, feeding his obsession with being unbeatable with each passing day. Twisting his mind until it is no longer his.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	Nothing Left To Lose

__

_It all started when the stars fell from the sky._

_Down from the heavens they came, igniting an event so catastrophic and immediate, many thought it was the end of the world. The stars crashed into the rolling hills of the Galar Region; scarring and altering the land to be nigh unrecognizable. They turned the skies a deathly black with a blood red hue, and strangest of all, the Pokémon grew to unimaginable heights and terrorized the land. The world had seen nothing like it before! As such, it was unprepared to deal with an unusual and disastrous phenomena like this one, all was thought lost till suddenly-_

  


"The wielders of the sword and shield put an end to it, and saved the world from the event History calls The Darkest Day. Believe it or not Chairman I went to school, too." Leon couldn't help but chuckle at the Chairman's theatrics even now. Ever since he was a kid, the Chairman always had a tendency to add dramatic flair where there was none. Every speech always had to have a over the top build up to make the reveal even more “stunning.” His words, not Leon's. 

Rose scowled, tossing his head over his shoulder slightly with his eyebrows curved, clearly not upset but acting like he was. “Leon please, you could at least have let me finish the story! Where is your appreciation for the Legends my boy!” He laughed, placing a hand over his dad bod of a stomach, giving up the ruse. His laughter, along with their footsteps echoed around the dimly lit, metal tunnel they were walking in. 

Leon smiled, rubbing his eyes before stretching his arms out and up, ending with a yawn. The Chairman had called him before the sun had even risen this morning with such pure excitement radiating in his voice, Leon almost didn't recognize him. He could attest to that partly due to it being 4 AM at the time, way, waaaaaaaay earlier then when he usually started his day. 

_“Leon! Get dressed and meet me at Hammerlocke Stadium right away! Actually no, I'll send over a taxi to pick you up. But still put on your Champion best and wake up!”_

Before he knew it a flying taxi was at his door, waiting to whisk him off to Hammerlocke Stadium of all places. When Leon got there he was expecting to see Raihan at least, but when he touched down only two people were there to greet him. Chairman Rose and his assistant, Oleana. They walked inside the castle, stopping at this very out of place looking door. _'Very subtle'_ he had thought, watching the tall, blonde haired woman put in a code, promptly opening it with a slick _-whoosh-_

Beyond the door was a lift. They all huddled in and began their descent, deep underground. Leon's eyes watered due to the amount of lights flashing through the small window as they continued their journey downward. Just how deep was-whatever this place was? More importantly, whatever Chairman Rose wanted to show him, why did it need to be this deep? 

Eventually, they touched down and headed on their way into the dim tunnel they were currently in. The farther they went, the more the air started to feel...heavy? It was thick with tension, sending tingles up and down Leon's spine. He kept himself steady, eyebrows furrowed. He glanced around the tunnel before setting his gaze on the Chairman. 

“Sir, where exactly are we going? What's so important that I had to skip breakfast?” 

Rose didn't turn to look back at him this time. He kept his head forward, though Leon could see a grin start to form. 

“You'll see.” 

Leon personally wasn't a fan of the cryptic answers but that was the Chairman for you. He turned his gaze back forward, saying nothing in response. 

Something was waiting for them at the end of the tunnel. He wasn't sure what the Chairman wanted to show him, but whatever it was- it was way too damn early for this much anticipation.  


After what felt like hours, they finally stopped in front of another door. It was much thicker, this time with two electronic locks on either side, with a tiny circular window in the middle. A deep, golden glow was emanating from it softly, giving off a warm aura the closer Leon got. He gulped quietly, the hum whatever was behind the wall was giving off resonated within his chest. It was like he was a noble dragon approaching it's precious treasure-only he didn't know _what_ the treasure in question was. 

Before long, the codes had been entered and the door opened, rising up slowly and painfully (for Leon), a bright light enveloping their bodies and filling the tunnel. Leon raised his arm to shield his eyes, walking tentatively forward with the others before stopping in front of....  


Honestly Leon didn't know what he was looking at. 

His golden eyes widened, his mouth agape as he craned his neck up at the absolute behemoth that was before him, a bead of sweat rolling down his face. The room was filled to the brim with what looked like, giant energy converters of some kind that were all connected to the main event in the center. The source of the overwhelming glow. 

Leon was a pretty tall guy, but this thing completely towered over him twice over. It was a large, glass orb that was red in tint, but inside contents were engulfed in yellow. Only barely after squinting could he make out some kind of form that was equally as huge, still and and unmoving. 

Rose grinned widely and turned around to face Leon; who still stood dumbfounded- with a half moon smile, eyes brimming with wonder. 

“This Leon, this is why I called you here so early! I found it! I finally found it!” he stretched his arms out wide to his side, finding it appropriate to be dramatic. 

Leon gulped more audibly this time, never once taking his eyes off the glowing globe before him. It took him a moment to register that the Chairman had spoke to him. He took one, two, three steps forward ending up right next to where Rose was standing. 

“No offense Sir but-what _exactly_ am I looking at here?” Leon said bewildered, gaze still locked onto the orb. Not even glancing at the Chairman once. 

Rose put his hands behind his back and smiled, beaming with pride. “This here Leon, is the source!” 

Leon's brow raised at this. “Source?” 

“Yes!” Rose nodded. “The source of all Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing phenomena in Galar, the grand Pokémon, Eternatus!” 

  
_E...ter...na...tus..._

  


Leon mouthed the name silently, the words hugging to his tongue. This titan here was the source of why the Pokémon of the Galar region could Dynamax? Boy his mouth was dry. “But I thought the Wishing Stars were the reason why?” he turned his head finally to Rose with a confused look. 

This time, Oleana spoke. “We did as well, but as it turns out the Wishing Stars are simply bits and pieces of this Legendary Pokémon that were scattered about. Everything about our history is connected to this.” 

Without realizing it Leon had gotten even closer to the glimmering sun, stopping just short of his nose touching the smooth glass. He nodded to himself, simply overwhelmed from the raw energy Eternatus radiated. “No offense, but normally your cheesy build up speeches don't amount to anything Sir, but this-this really was one hell of a pay off.” 

Rose laughed and rightly slapped his hand onto Leon's toned back. “Was there ever any doubt, my dear Champion! Now come along, Oleana and I will fill you in on your place in all this as we head back up top. I believe it's time we all had a proper breakfast!” 

With a turn of his heels the Chairman walked to Oleana who set off next to him, heading toward the exit. 

Only Leon hadn't joined them. 

Instead he stayed in front of the orbed prison, staring into the luminant abyss before him as if he was hypnotized. It was so alluring...so welcoming. Ringing echoed around in his ears as if it were calling to him, metaphorical hands of light were wrapping him, pulling him closer. 

Before he knew it, his hand was slowly raising upward toward the glass of it's own volition, hesitating only slightly before fully placing his entire palm on the surface of the orb. Warmth immediately pulsed through and down his finger tips. In reality this only took about 5 seconds, but to Leon it felt like time had slowed down to years. The resonating in his chest and the ringing in his ears got louder and louder as the heat in his palm increased. 

“Eternatus...” Leon said out loud this time, completely in awe. He forgot where he was, and who he came down here with. To him, he and Eternatus were the only ones in the room and no one else mattered. 

“Champion Leon? The Chairman said it's time to go.” 

Like a snap, Leon blinked. Shaking his head, he stumbled backward a couple steps, gasping sharply as if he had forgotten to breath. What happened? Leon didn't remember being so close to the imprisoned Pokémon, and his hand was uncomfortably hot. He shook his hand like something was on it and looked around, spotting the two far back at the exit. 

“Hey, wait up!” he took off with a light sprint after them, walking out as they did, watching as they locked the door. He spared a glance at Eternatus through the tiny window for a brief second, the glow pulsating and small. Leon couldn't really explain it, but in that second he felt sadness. 

He followed after Rose and Oleana a moment later, the walk back to the lift was agonizing. Not a word was said, no doubt they were saving their explanations till they could talk it out over breakfast, but still the silence was deafening. 

As they got into the lift and began to ascend, Leon couldn't take it anymore and blurted out. 

“So how do you just _find_ an ancient, all powerful, source of the-giant-Pokémon-phenomena- Pokémon, Rose? How long has it been under Hammerlocke??” Leon's face wasn't one of anger, but pure shock. Easily, it was one of the most brilliant things he had ever laid eyes on. Brilliant _and_ terrifying. 

Rose chuckled warmly and placed his hand on Leon's shoulder. It helped him relax a little, a small comfort Leon could always rely on the Chairman for. Green eyes smiled reassuringly, turning his grip into a light pat. 

“It is such a wonder to behold, isn't it? I couldn't believe it at first either. We had been looking for answers for a long, long time. With help from Professor Magnolia, we were able to adapt our research to finally lead us in the right direction. Do you remember not too long ago, a Pokémon had Dynamaxed out of the blue and I sent you to settle it?” 

Leon regained his posture and nodded. “Yeah...?” 

“The Wishing Stars that fall from the atmosphere are dangerous if left unchecked. If too many unleash their energy at once, or find their way back to Eternatus, it could bring about...another Darkest Day.” 

“Whoa...” 

“Your job, my dear Leon, is to make sure these Wishing Stars are accounted for and stopping any Pokémon they accidentally Dynamax. Then, we will store them in a secure spot, far away from Eternatus, and with it also safely locked away, we can continue our research! Galar's very own protectors, like the Legendary Heroes of old. Oh, all done in secret, of course.” 

Rose shrugged at the end with false disappointment, a smile appearing soon after; fitting right back into place. Leon blinked rapidly and turned to face both Rose and Oleana, his eyebrows furrowed in a worried stance, his hands rotating at the wrists, gesturing in front of him like he was trying to process it all. 

“So wait, the plan is to keep a gigantic, eldritch being, locked away from everyone and everything...just like that?” 

Oleana huffed, putting one hand on her hip. “Without Wishing Stars, it will remain docile. We can't exactly unleash a Pokémon of that caliber upon the world, now can we?” 

Quietly, Leon looked down at his palm, now no longer warm, only a slight tingly feeling remaining. He clenched it, turning his gaze to the small window on the lift, watching the lights go by. 

“No...I suppose not.” 

  


\- - -

  


It was a little bit after 12 in the afternoon when Leon returned home to his apartment in Wyndon. He sighed deeply, kicking off his shoes with effort, feeling like weights tied to his feet. He didn't know why, but all the energy in his body was absolutely drained. He didn't even DO that much today but it was as if he ran a marathon and then did 10 Pokémon battles back to back. 

Instant relief was felt on his back when his cape set his shoulders free from it's daunting grasp. _Man_ that felt good. His cape was literally apart of his body by now, and yet he couldn't have been more glad that it was off of him. Shuffling over to his couch, Leon toppled over it landing face first into a pillow, moaning from the sheer comfort of it all.

_'I've died and gone to heaven, floating on a cloud.'_ he thought dramatically, Rose had rubbed off on him, so it would have seemed. He turned over on his side lazily, pulling his Rotom Phone from a pocket, and began swiping through his photos. A soft smile gracing his face.

His little brother Hop was getting so big now...with or without him there to see it. In one more year he would be able to officially start the Gym Challenge, something Hop was looking forward to more than anything. The thought of possibly having to fight his little brother in the finals made his smile fade, a small frown replacing it. It didn't last too long however. A yawn promptly escaped from his lips, and Leon proceeded to tuck his phone away, bringing up his hands under his cheek before drifting off to sleep.

  


\- - -

  
The next day, and many days after that, Leon went to work. Luckily the Wishing Stars were far and few between, but whenever they did show up and activate, Leon was right there with his Charizard. Both of them ready to tackle any Dynamaxed Pokémon, should they find any. 

When he wasn't hunting for Wishing Stars, he was attending to his usual duties as Champion of Galar. Autographs, photo shoots, fighting and beating any hopeful that challenged him, keeping his title intact. The people of Galar adored Leon, and that was putting it lightly. Everywhere he went he was always surrounded by cheering fans, clamoring for his attention. If that's what they wanted, then attention he gave of course! He loved seeing the smiling, beaming faces of his fans that he inspired. 

He, the greatest Champion Galar...no, the world had ever seen! No other Champion even reached the same caliber as he. Leon was unbeatable now...and he would be forever.

He waved goodbye to his crowd of fans residing in Motostoke before mounting his Charizard and taking off into the sky. He laughed as they climbed, higher and higher into the great open blue, before settling on a good height with a steady glide. He smiled as he gazed upon the gorgeous hills of the Wild Area, watching the numerous amount of Pokémon go about their day.

Next stop was back home in Wyndon, and Charizard knew as much. Whenever they were in the air, he left the driving up to his Pokémon who pretty much had to learn how to navigate on it's own since Leon was completely useless In that regard.

Leon leaned back slightly and closed his eyes, letting the cool breeze caress his face and violet locks. His mouth turned to a straight line, opening his eyes back up slightly to stare at the sapphire sky. The sound of the wind around him and Charizard's flapping wings quieting down to a small hum.

Next month Hop would be of age to start the Gym Challenge...he had put off thinking about it since he started his new 'job' as it were. Whenever Hop called him to talk about it, Leon shared his happiness of course but he hadn't yet decided what he was going to do. Rose had suggested that he officially endorse him, to get the people talking and the hype circulating. It would certainly help him along with a few things, Leon wasn't an idiot. 

He knew he left his little brother, unintentionally or not, in the shadows of his massive success. He loved his brother dearly, and wanted him to climb and succeed as he did of course...but when it came to his Championship title, he couldn't deny there was a deep part inside of him that was ever so slightly possessive of it. 

“Bblblblbl!” He shook his head and slapped his cheeks to wake himself up. What was he thinking? Where did that thought come from? He rubbed his eyes one at a time, and proceeded to stick his pinkie finger into his ear, everything suddenly getting louder out of nowhere. He audibly winced as he looked down, now noticing that his Charizard was throwing him a look as if to check on him. Leon strained a laugh and patted his partner on the side of its neck.

“Don't worry mate, it's prolly nothing...yeah it's nothing.” 

Charizard huffed unconvinced and turned it's gaze back forward. The clouds cleared out from under them, revealing the end half of Hammerlocke Stadium. This time Leon looked back and down at the grand castle watching it silently, gold eyes lingering on every last bit until it completely disappeared behind the mountains.

He turned his head straight and leaned down close to Charizard's head, giving him a soft pat as he did. “Take me to Rose Tower, bud.” The Pokémon grunted in acknowledgment and changed their course, now soaring toward the extravagant tower in the middle of the city.

  


\- - -

  
“Chairman, your Champion is here to see you.”  


  


Oleana's tone was dull and flat as usual, intercom or not. Rose chuckled and pressed down on the talk button, “Well don't keep him waiting! Send him in!” he shuffled the documents he was looking over to the side and placed his interlocked hands on his desk, only to outstretch them a moment later as soon as Leon walked in.

“Welcome, my dear Champion! To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” He smiled widely, getting up briefly to shake Leon's hand as a formality before sitting back down. Leon stayed standing, not wanting to sit after a long flight.

“It's good to see you Sir. I-uh- thought about what you said and I wholeheartedly agree.” _Did he though?_ He nodded and tossed out his arm dramatically, flipping his cape up to place his hand on his waist. “Do you still have those three Pokémon on you?”

The Chairman exclaimed, “Ah yes!” with a clap of his hands, and bent to the side to retrieve something from a small drawer. “Young Hop will be of age next month,-why next week, yes? What a perfect start to a new Gym Challenge season this will be! The rise of the new up and coming Champion right? Haha!” he laughed heartily, joking of course but Leon couldn't find it in him to honestly laugh. 

“Aha...haha! Right,” Leon faked, looking off to the side. 

Rose was too busy with the drawer to hear him, and after a moment he sat back upright with a small rectangular box. It was black and sleek on the outside, and on the inside it held three pokéballs, sitting there patiently, waiting for the day they would get picked.

Leon couldn't help but smile at the notion of Hop picking his new starter Pokémon (after Wooloo of course), and gently took the box from Rose's hands, tucking it safely away. 

“Thank you Sir,” Leon bowed his head briefly before heading back toward the door.

Chairman Rose called out after him. “Let me know how it goes!”

Leon threw his hand up as if to say, “I will!” and carried on his way. Soon he would be visiting his family in Postwick to give Hop the good news, that he was going to be officially endorsed by Galar's Champion.

A humming sound filled the lift as he road it back down to the first floor, his arms crossed and a pensive look upon his face.

This was going to mean the world to Hop, there was no harm in him journeying out into the region like every other kid his age. Everything was going to be fine.

Leon nodded to himself and smiled, speaking out loud to no one in particular, his words echoing around the spacious lift.

“Of course it's gonna be fine! I have nothing to worry about.”

A dark thought crept back up into his mind again.

_'It's not like he'll ever make it that far enough to begin with.'_

  


  


\- - -


End file.
